Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has denied avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Obi made the statements on Friday in Cape Town, South Africa, while attending the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance gathering.

“There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother.

“I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently,” he said.

The remarks come against the backdrop of a bruising few months in their political relationship.

Both men had jointly adopted the African Democratic Congress as a coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

Obi formally joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, with Atiku welcoming him and describing the development as a landmark moment in Nigerian political coalition-building.

The partnership, however, did not last. On his way out, Obi stated that his departure was motivated by unsolved internal problems and ongoing legal disputes that had diverted the party’s attention away from national issues, rather than personal differences with Atiku or party chairman David Mark.

He and Kwankwaso then defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, calling for a stop to litigation-driven politics. (The Sun)